Bone Method: How to Build An Adventure

We're having plenty of game here at the Wargate! And no visible shortage of it, either! This is great - we'll get a chance to play several different games, experience several different stories and Game Masters, and share our own stories with our closest friends through the interactive medium of tabletop gaming.

However, it's not always easy to get the game you want out of a system. Sure, the story is in your head, but the players have no idea about anything...sometimes it can become a serious hassle to keep "player information"(that what a player knows about the scenario), "GM information" (that what the GM knows that the players do not) and "character information" (that what a player's character knows about the scenario) separate. Multiple plot threads come flying around and unwound due to PC actions, and sometimes you can see your carefully crafted adventure go straight down the tubes, all because one of the players really really, really, really wanted to hunt those buffalo.

I'm going to share with you a few methods for building adventures I picked up along the way to the Wargate. Take these few rules of thumb to heart, keep them in mind when designing your scenarios, and you'll reap the benefit of a smooth running, fast paced game.

---

So, what's an 'Adventure'?

Sometimes you hear them called by different names. Sometimes they are called Stories, or Modules, or Scenarios...by any name you call them, RPG scenarios will always be "adventures" to me. I like that name...it really says what it needs to be. An adventure...an exciting scenario for your players to roleplay through.

An adventure can be as long as it needs to be, spanning multiple play sessions or character levels. For the purposes of this article, an adventure is simply a single portion of a campaign...or one chapter in a story.

For an adventure to be successful, it is dependent on a number of things. Basically, these are simply the elements of a story linked together through the medium of the RPG, which is like no other form of storytelling because of the open-ended nature. This is the most important aspect - if the story is not open ended, with several possible outcomes, it becomes GM Railroading. This is a term used to denote where a GM attempting to run a scenario does it too rigidly, or doesn't allow for enough player choice in the scenario.

Throughout the article I will be providing specific examples and even show you how I generate adventures with my tried and true 10 point Adventure Method (patent pending), wherein you basically make an outline for a term paper or short story for creative writing class. It's very original. The key here is that you establish the three things that every story needs for your adventure - that is, a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Above all, do NOT let your players "sandbox" for very long. This stagnates the game and players begin to drift away when you play to their whims.

---

Finding the Story

The first thing you, Adventuresmith, must do is uncover your story. You may have a premise, but it's the meat of the story that counts. When writing campaigns, I'll often have a story arc built into a certain number of sessions (say, for example...ten) with notes about the general plot of the adventure. We're not going to focus on campaigns this time, but if you have a story for your campaign, the stories for your adventures should occur quite naturally.

An adventure has several elements that you should not ignore as a writer or GM. I cannot stress this enough - you must spend time preparing. In fact, the Game Master is the person who must actually devote time to preparing the game. This is his responsibility, and by taking up the mantle of Game Master you are telling us you are ready to handle it.

To that end, it truly pays to come prepared for more than you'll conceivably need so that you can access new information on the fly. Also, writing things down tends to cement the thoughts in your head. If you know the story, how the NPC's will react to certain stimuli or what will happen when the characters decide to go off-course there won't be any room for plot holes or inconsistencies. It also clears up instances of ret-conning due to inattention or strange actions by the players. It is for this reason that games that are run mostly "by the seat of one's pants" tend to run out of steam or collective purpose. The very same applies to "sandbox" games. Without any direction, your players will wander - perhaps even away from the table.

When writing a new adventure, I always start by writing a short synopsis of the plot. The synopsis should include at least two possible outcomes to the scenario (success and failure). Once you've written this part out, you should have a really good idea as to the tone of the adventure, and can begin to write in earnest.

Once you have your synopsis, you're ready to add character hooks. Character hooks are the starting points of the adventure - they provide the player characters with reasons to do the things you want them to do in the scenario. It's not a good sign when the hardest part of the scenario is getting the players to work with each other and to pursue the scenario goal. Simply having someone who outranks the players command them to do something they would not normally do is alright for some scenarios, but it can quickly become bothersome if used excessively (unless that is the gist of the campaign). If your campaign features player characters that are not military oriented, do not create military adventures - it's a lot of hassle that could easily be avoided by writing an adventure more suited to your player's characters, or by decreeing that player characters need to be military in concept.

Options are always better, unless the players have warranted being commanded (Quest-ed) by the NPC's by way of their own actions.

Usually character hooks are easy, but sometimes it takes some conniving to make it fit where you want it to in your story. There are many methods to hook a character, but the easiest is to show him that something he wants is at the end of a particular course of action and let him decide to engage it. Heavy handed methods include arresting player characters, drafting them, placing a Geas spell upon them, or simply murdering their family. Hooking characters is hardest at the beginning of a campaign, but in some cases you can snag characters with a hook that binds them to the entire story of the campaign in the first adventure.

Example: My adventure is about trolls from Dollytown eating all the township of Springburg's cabbage. In this adventure, players will travel to the hamlet of Springburg, where they find a famine brought on by this lack of cabbage. Character hooks include basic sympathy for the plight of the people of the village, or perhaps a village elder offers the player gold, renown, a magic item, knowledge or any other critical item that could provide a reason to do the extreme things adventurers do all the time. If the players are successful, the people of Springburg will be rejoiced and throw a festival in their honor, but if not, most likely they were eaten by trolls.

Beginning, middle and end.

---

Adding Encounters

In the early days of my youth, I got my learnin's at the Dungeons & Dragons School for Beating Player Character Ass. Tuition was steep, but I got my degrees in Dungeoncraft and Game Theory, as well as finishing my minor in RPG History. I took some courses in Gygaxism as well, but like all those ancient philosophers he wasn't right about everything.

The term encounter comes from that game, but I have used it for every game, ever. It's useful. It's basically just what the original RPG game used to denote different sections of a scenario. Encounters weren't codified with ratings until the YEAR 2000, with 3rd Edition's release. So don't worry...you can still use encounters in other games.

An adventure simply consists of several Encounters put together in a chain, though you probably got this from your old Dungeon Master's Guide. Of course, an encounter is a portion of the adventure where your players interact in some way with other characters or with the game environment. Setting up these encounters and timing their execution is critical to sustaining the "fun-factor" of the game.

So what goes into an encounter? What do you put in it? How do you start it?

There are two main methods for beginning encounters. When you create your adventure, you must decide how many encounters will be site based and how many are event based. A site based encounter happens when the characters arrive at a certain point (usually a dungeon room or some other fixed location). It happens whenever it is triggered (such as the door opening or the alarm is raised). Event based encounters happen whenever some event occurs in game, regardless of where the party is. An example of such an event would be one day after the characters emerge from the dungeon to regroup and heal, the General of the Empire will arrive in the city with two hundred fresh troops. This happens no matter where the players are, but sometimes an event happening miles away can trigger another encounter, or even change the descriptions of site based encounters.

So now you have a couple of ideas, but you really need to get started. Let's get out our pens and composition pads (I'm old fashioned) and simply make an outline. You know, like they taught you to do in high school when you had to do that nightmarish term paper (or had to pay someone else to do it). I begin populating my adventure with encounters by drawing a small, numbered list from 1 to 10. In those 10 points, I write down where in the pacing of the adventure that I want my "key events" to take place. Once my "key events" are in place, I can then build the rest of the encounters around them safe in the knowledge of when and how each particular encounter can occur. These key events define those things that the story MUST have: a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Example:

1. Arrival in Springburg (the pc's arrive and become involved)
2. ?
3. A Big Ass Hole (the pc's negotiate a yawning chasm to find trolls)
4. ?
5. Encounter with Trolls (the pc's find trolls!)
6. ?
7. ?
8. Battle for the Cabbage Fields (only force can drive out the trolls!)
9. ?
10. Celebration in Springburg (Rewards handed out)

Here, I have mapped 5 encounters. These are the encounters that must occur if my story is to come to completion, thus they are the key events. Now I can add flavored encounters or encounters that address plot threads woven by the players that don't fall within the strict parameters of the key events. Let's say I have a paladin player, and he's totally about to fall out with God. I could alter my encounter list to include an encounter specific to this storyline. Or you can create new ones. I figure we can do both...

1. Arrival in Springburg (the pc's arrive and become involved)
2. ?
3. A Big Ass Hole (the pc's negotiate a yawning chasm to find trolls)
4. The Devil Wears Owlbear Skin (demonic servant approaches paladin)
5. Encounter with Trolls (the pc's find trolls!)
6. ?
7. ?
8. Battle for the Cabbage Fields (only force can drive out the trolls!)
9. Ol' Crippy (one legged man tells the story of treasure in the land beyond Dollytown)
10. Celebration in Springburg (Rewards handed out)

What else can we do? It's a good idea to mix random or optional encounters into the mix that don't necessarily have anything to do with the rest of the story, and do not have to be completed or executed in any way, like optional encounters. This is to maintain a sense of verisimilitude - that is, that things are happening in the world the pc's are in. It makes the game feel more alive if you can breathe that into how your encounters are sequenced.

1. Arrival in Springburg (the pc's arrive and become involved)
2. Big Gay Al's Magic Wand Superstore (players encounter wizard npc in town)
3. A Big Ass Hole (the pc's negotiate a yawning chasm to find trolls)
4. The Devil Wears Owlbear Skin (demonic servant approaches paladin)
5. Dances with Trolls (the pc's find trolls!)
6. The Frog Caves (giant frogs in a separate cavern near the trolls - site encounters)
7. Oi! The trolls are coming! (pc's can warn outlying farms of incoming troll attack)
8. Battle for the Cabbage Fields (only force can drive out the trolls!)
9. Ol' Crippy (one legged man tells the story of treasure in the land beyond Dollytown)
10. Celebration in Springburg (Rewards handed out)

These new encounters don't have to be ran at all, but are extra content that your players can earn or find if they manage to. They are non critical, but nonetheless relevant to pc interests...giant frogs always have piles of loose change and magic swords. One encounter is an npc encounter whom the players may eventually earn as an ally, who can also perform magic for the player group...for a fee.

I have included another small dungeon within this adventure! The Frog Caves are just that...inhabited by giant frogs, but it's very close to the troll lair...unwary pc's might even mistake it for the troll lair. In this instance, I would map a small frog cave, label the areas as you would any dungeon map and jot it all down in my book under the section labeled The Frog Caves. I usually include mapped areas simply as encounters all their own - though technically site based entries like these might actually contain several more encounters depending on what exactly suits your needs.

The third encounter is sort of a bonus. If the pc's are good, or just worried about their own skin, they may attempt to gather the families of the outlying farms into the defenses of the town proper. This is sort of a bonus round...extra awards may be given for a significant number of townsfolk getting to safety. Conversely, if this were an evil adventure, you could replace this encounter with something diabolic, like luring the trolls straight to the mayor's house.

Remember also that encounters do not strictly have to take place in the order they are originally ordered, due to any number of events brought on by active player characters. For example, if the players didn't go down the south road (or whatever) after the Battle for the Cabbage Fields (encounter 8), then perhaps Ol' Crippy doesn't see the characters until the Celebration in Springburg...if even then. Everyone could be dead by then, you know?

Note that 10 encounters is by no means a hard and fast rule, but rather a starting place to find how many encounters you need. Encounters can be as long as they need to be in order to address what they are designed to address. Encounter 10 can only happen if encounter 8 is successfully completed, and if encounter 5 goes bad it may also affect how encounter 8 is executed, even if only by altering the number of enemies, representing the trolls regrouping after defeating the players. A failure on any encounter that is critical could alter the title of the last encounter to "Sorrow in Springburg".

Now, we have us a proper adventure that can entertain the entire group for an entire evening. Preparation rules!

---

Rewards of Adventure

So, now that all the trolls have been defeated, what do the players have to show for it? Lots of cabbage? It's unlikely the townsfolk have piles of gold to part with, if anything at all. The players in this example adventure will probably get a pittance of coins, free room and board until healed (which is likely quickly) and some extra rations on top of experience points. Why so little for so heroic a deed?

Rewarding the players for their actions is actually a very tough job for a Game Master. You have to balance risk vs. reward or something, right? If you're new at it, it can be tempting to dole out craploads of everything in an attempt to please your audience. I could wax lyrical about the whole deal and address every side of the story, but since this is my blog I'm only going to seek to promulgate my own philosophy on the subject. The secret is, the teeter-totter of player satisfaction is actually tilted in the Game Master's favor. The players are not satisfied with extra treasure or skills, but rather the game itself. Therefore, for the vast majority of adventures the players will get only what they need to continue the campaign (and maybe just a little more) in terms of rewards.

I have always seen the campaign as a game with a climbing difficulty. That is, it gets harder as you go on. Giving out too many rewards clutters the future adventures with extra crap. Also, sometimes players tend to forget they used things, and you might forget they used them...especially with tons of notes of equipment and coins. It is critical that the game remain in the control of the Game Master, and depriving the players of ridiculous gains of money, power and influence can help you direct future adventures and encounters to develop along the lines of your story. Not that players cannot direct the story...rather the extra bonuses you have given them will not.

However, it is important to make each adventure a stepping stone for the next, harder adventure. In general, expended menial resources like food or water should be taken care of, even if it is in the form of enough coin to bed down in the next town's inn. In general, if the group is small, 1 upgrade can be given to each player. In larger groups, you need to be stingy - the players already have an intense advantage in numbers. The more players there are, the more tactics they can execute. That said, if you know the party will need a certain amount of magic (or satchel charges, or power armor, or political influence or whatever) then make sure at least one or two members have the opportunity to gain the needed item.

The basic rule is:

Don't give more than what they need.

Ever.

---

Linking Adventures

Where to next? This is an important question...if you can give hooks in one adventure, the next session doesn't seem so forced - in fact the transition will come quite naturally. You don't have to do a song and pony show about how the players get to the next town, because last week they would have told you they were going to get the treasury Ol' Crippy talked about.

If you do it right, it might be hard for the players to distinguish where one adventure ends and the next begins, especially if you never reveal the titles of your adventures to your players (thereby denoting them as separate stories). The players will be walking along doing their own thing.

While I make notes about future adventures, these are subject to change. I knew a Pastor once, who wrote his Sunday sermon every Saturday night. He had a book of notes, of things he had thought of to talk about someday...and when Saturday night came he would retire to the den with a cup of tea, take his "thought-book" along with a plain orange pad, and write his sermon. The reason he did this is so he could make sure his topic for that Sunday would resonate with the Congregation.

I'm not deliberately comparing our Sunday meetings where we all gather to listen to one of our number talk passionately and loudly about something we all care about to going to Church. Rather, I learned something from this man I once knew, and he happened to be a Pastor. That thing is to never write your adventure until the last adventure has been completed. Kind of a long way to walk for that piece of advice, but let me tell you, it is gold.

If you don't write one adventure until the last is completed, you can work and rework the gist of the adventure to take on any story developments that previously occurred and thereby achieve yet another level of verisimilitude. More importantly, it allows you to control encounter composition and difficulty.

---

In Conclusion

If you reduced this article to it's basest points, I really only offer a couple points. First, plan your crap out. Second, make the crap hard. Third, don't make the crap a straight line or a squiggly line, but a line with a couple of squiggles instead. Fourth, don't give your players crap. Fifth, make sure your players have plenty of crap to do. That's it.

Sorry for the long, long post guys. I hope I made all my points clear, and would love to further discuss adventure design with anyone who is going to be running a game! Of course this was just a basic primer that basically just showed my method for creating an adventure, and I'd love to hear how the rest of you cogitate your games!

If there is a point anyone wishes to examine further, don't hesitate to send me a shout out!

The Real World - Of Darkness!

Our new World of Darkness game is in full swing now! We're coming back this next Sunday for the 3rd week of this game, and it's pretty much done a 180 degree turn from where we thought it was going. It's even a little confusing, with all the conspiracies going around. I thought I'd clarify a few things for everyone...including myself.

What follows is Agent Doan's assessment of the current situation after the events of Week 2's game. This report was delivered to Mr. Black of the ISA.

Dr. Dagon's Dangerous Deals

It is unclear to me how exactly a person such as Dr. Dagon could become involved in this mess. I know he's made some deals to ensure the safety of his previous charges, but this is fast approaching lunacy. I understand he is liaison to the company while we are embedded on this mission, but I have my doubts about his capacity to make crucial decisions. While he has been "helpful" during prisoner interrogations, it is my opinion that the good Doctor is in way over his head. Subordination to his high-minded notions of 'fairness' and 'decency' may not be an option during certain operations to maintain safety and security of Phoenix agents.

Whatever the case, the Doctor made deals with the ISA and other unknown agencies (?) in order to place the team where it is. I understand that this was his therapy group and he has a vested interest in where this goes, however it may fast be headed wherever it is going without him.

Incident at the Loft

At some point, the loft the group used as a residence while undergoing therapy was attacked by government soldiers. We have assumed these well equipped and drilled soldiers to have been sent by the Shadow Government. It was not long after that that Mr. Black approached the Doctor regarding sensitive materials possessed by one of the therapy group's members, one J.B. Andersen.

There were fatalities, but none on our side. That is a miracle. Somehow, Dr. Dagon was able to contact the correct persona on our side and Mr. Black was sent to facilitate the operation.

Enter the ISA

As I understand it, the Mr. Black and the ISA propositioned Dagon to sign everything over to the company. Now considered soldiers, the random group of lunatics sign the documents required by the government to facilitate their disappearance, and the group is assigned 9 weeks of intense training to be presided over by myself.

The Island

During the 9 weeks on the island, very few of my charges proved themselves capable soldiers. Now however, they possess basic skills required of the greenest soldiers. This is without a doubt the most pathetic team of of insurgents I have ever trained. It consists mainly of old men, young boys and women, with only one or two capable fighters in the whole lot. Those that are capable of fighting aren't properly trained, and it's only a matter of time before everyone is killed if committed to action now. This assessment is also given in my report to the RTC.

The Phoenix Team

In a move of colossal idiocy that could only be perpetrated by High Command, we are garrisoned in the very loft that came under attack previously. It has been equipped with rudimentary defenses and a soundproof room that we can use for interrogations, which I quickly put to use. If there is one caveat I have with command during this mission, it's that no goals were specified by the ISA other than to assist with group operations. Operations? To what end? High Command MUST note my disdain for this sort of disjointed intelligence operation - I had to piece together what information I could from the rantings of lunatics JUST to understand our primary objective. This is entirely unsatisfactory, and I reserve the right to go to ground at any time, with or without the authorization the High Command. If there were more information available (or made available) I wouldn't have to guess if I am to act as bodyguard, assassin, interrogator or simply reconnaissance.

It wouldn't be until much later that I understood the ramifications of the scraps of intelligence I was able to gather. I recommend an intelligence operative be put on this detail simply to gather information related to whatever the end-mission objectives will be.

Operation Latin Splat

As it happens, Andersen has a history with the initial targets. Given a simple target but no objectives, we spent two days casing this decrepit hovel out in the industrial section. There was little activity around the house, so on day 3 we effected entry and apprehended two common criminals with little trouble.

In the house was evidence of organ theft (including a still living human subject who had several pieces removed) and a huge amount of a substance resembling methamphetamine. We made sure the survivor was retrieved by rescue personnel (without being detected) and destroyed the house by immolation. Samples of the drug were taken and are included in this report to be analyzed by ISA experts.

Interrogation Techniques

The two prisoners were taken to the loft, where interrogations proved to be more challenging than one might expect from street scum. However, we were able to piece a few things together, and perhaps I have gleaned a little intelligence from their pain induced ramblings. It seems we are targeted on one Papa Tito, apparently a cartel kingpin. The gang members attribute magical powers to this drug lord, which is not uncommon amongst the drug addled soldiery of other cartels. That it is on American soil makes me sick, and assassinations will be effected on key cartel personnel.

Interrogations will be performed on any prisoners captured and will invariably end in mortality for all such subjects. Included are scans of skin fragments taken from the initial subjects from the meth house, including a skin fragment of what appears to be a tattoo made of ink distilled from the methamphetamine. Note the greenish tint of the tattoo ink and the sample drug I have included.

Initial Conclusion: Papa Tito enforces the belief he is magical with 'human sacrifice' (organ theft) and 'mystical branding' (the tattoos). This pathology is evident in many third world cultures where drugs provide the main source of income for the "upper" class in those situations.

The Truth About Moon Magic

I have been told that the root of our issues lies in a file supposedly possessed by Andersen, to which all roads seem to lead. Inside are (purportedly) various photos that allude to a discovery of indeterminate nature on the moon's surface. This discovery has had mystical or religious significance with at least two factions (which may be the same faction - the Shadow Government and the Cartel). Andersen believes that Papa Tito is somehow involved and that it is linked the the slaughter of his family. How this can be true I do not know, but I suspect that someone at the Agency does, and hereby request access to such intelligence. Denial of this request will be met with inefficiency of action and, eventually, loss of the team to the decisions of commanders ignorant of the full scope of the situation. If this recklessness and loss of the team is desired, we can effect that to a much greater degree of accuracy than letting this "plan" reach it's idiotic conclusion.

Late Night Incidents - After Hours

Agreeing to follow Andersen to the place where he had hidden the file he claims everyone is out to get, we are followed out to a lonely stretch of road by a black unmarked car. Upon confronting our tail, they produce guns and I am injured, though it is only a minor wound that does not impede our ability to dispatch our followers. They were recalcitrant to talk, and we were in the open. They had absolutely no identifying marks. The team quickly terminated them and hid the evidence near the road. Enclosed is the approximate location, make and model and rough description of the inhabitants of the car. It is possible the car has not yet been retrieved by the enemy or the civil authorities.

We progressed to the spot where the file was buried, in a small pond. We found the file and I have read it.

Objective Priority

I do not understand. None of this can be real, though I'm sure it is based on how vehemently the opposition is pursuant to it. Also, their willingness to die is commendable - if I obtain an interrogation subject I will work very hard to break that conditioning and retrieve usable intelligence.

I'm unsure of the next objective, though I'm sure it involves the assassination or interrogation of Papa Tito. We will begin working toward this at first light.

Conclusion

The evidence suggests the following.

Papa Tito was somehow involved in a government cover up regarding what was truly found during the space race with Russia. The nature of the finding is indeterminate, however a solid and perhaps semi-mystical belief has sprung up around this "urban legend". Agents of the enemy are conditioned well, but the foot soldiers of the drug lord aren't as disciplined. Also, it seems that the drug may be using rendered down human organs as a critical ingredient. It is unknown how this is accomplished, recommend extensive testings of sample to confirm.

Disregarding the information in the file as a hoax, there are obviously factions who hold it in so high esteem as to approach religious fervor. Whether or not it's true, our enemies believe that it is. This is a weapon we can use.

Request orders, clarifications, intelligence, and clearer field objectives. Request intelligence adjutant in the agency to compile what is known. Request also, dummy files similar to Andersen's to use during subterfuge.

Chicago: Hunting Humans Character Profiles

Chicago: Hunting Humans

Character Development

by Scriveners Swearingen and Hannan

As Hunting Humans enters it's third week, we are really hitting the stride of the game. Participation will be up next game as we all become more familiar with all the things this new toy gives us. The new system is fairly straightforward, and at the same time more simple and more complex than the old. The setting itself is also coming into focus, as is the gist of the game - it's a tale of vengeance and conspiracy which we have yet to fully uncover, if we even live that long.In this article, we examine the characters that are currently alive and participating in the strange chain of events connected to the Phoenix Project. These are the player characters that are driving the storyline of the new game. They have stepped, willing or unwilling, into a confrontation with a "shadow government" that now wants them all dead. The characters now begin a race against time to discover the secrets that will save their lives, or seal their fates forever.

---

Dr. Van Dagon

Dr. Dagon, or just "The Doctor" was a court psychologist who had his feet placed firmly on the ground. Having worked in the prison system and with innumerable disturbed patients, his work has revealed the true horror of the human psyche to him, but he has always had faith in the ability of the mind to heal itself, just as the body does. In practice, this has mixed results.

 A family man with strict self-discipline, he truly wants to help his patients and those around him - but the streets of Chicago have taken their toll on Dr. Dagon.  He developed a program named "Phoenix", a radical therapy program designed to rehabilitate criminal mentalities through normal human interaction and activity.  The program had been running for about one week during the events of the first game session, but now the program has been scrapped and "re-imagined" into a military insurgency designed to root out and destroy the men responsible for a number of heinous acts.  The Doctor can only then do what is right, and works with the ISA to become the handler of the new "Phoenix Project".  Only now, he must mold the criminal psyches he once sought to save into successful espionage unit.

---

Ralph Wiggins

This 17 year old high school student is anything but typical. After all, how could you call a teenager who wears leather breeches and carries a replica Apache warclub in his back pack typical? Ralph was one of the Doctor's first charges, and is obsessed with wolves and other wild animals - especially their skin. Ralph is an especially skilled scout, and often acts in a low-key surveillance or reconnaissance role.

---

Giuseppe Puzzo

Not long ago, this unassuming fellow was a low level Mafia thug, and he still has some family ties in the local criminal underworld. Once a drug trafficker by trade, Giuseppe was keen to find any new avenue he could take to get the promotion and recognition he desired. The bosses have had their eyes on him for a while, but now he's been dragged into the Phoenix Project. He seems to enjoy his new work, but how far he's come from his "family" roots remains to be seen. Whether or not his loyalty is divided or in question, his connections can certainly help in the Phoenix Project's less-than-legal agenda.

---

Wyatt "Earp" Roberts

A perfect product of his time, this suburban "thug" (i.e. wannabe hip-hop 'gangsta') swings his ego and his trust fund all around parts of Chicago. White boys shouldn't necessarily play around out here, but this hasn't deterred the young rap enthusiast. Wyatt has disappeared following the incident at the loft...though we are sure the ISA didn't overlook him during the weeks that followed.

---

Randy Ball

At 26 years of age, Randy is a self-styled "techno-nerd". How

ever, he is quite athletic, to the point of being quite skilled in parkour - the art of free-running. When he's not flipping up buildings, he's probably hacking into whatever computer target the Phoenix Project needs - or porn sites. Randy fills an important niche in the team, as his grasp of computer science allows insight and access where otherwise none would be had. More than once a casual remark by this unassuming young man has caused the other members of the team to alter their course to a more logical and ultimately benificial end. As a member of the team, his chief responsibility lies in computer manipulation, a task at which he excels.

---

J.B. Andersen

A veteran of the Vietnam War, J.B. Andersen served his country with honor and loyalty - and now it seems that country may have betrayed him. An expert in covert operation and espionage, he has proven to be a particular challenge for the "shadow government" to eliminate. Now, after finally resurfacing in the city of Chicago, J.B. thought he could live the rest of his twilight days in peace. But when you have as many hidden enemies as this man, all of whom will unhesitatingly risk life and limb to capture or harm you...such things are pipe dreams. However, fate is fickle, and a bizarre series of incidents have led J.B. to a position he has only dreamed he was capable of ever reaching. Newly appointed by the ISA as the Field Commander for the "re-imagined" Project Phoenix, Andersen could finally get what he's needed for the past twenty years...revenge.

---

Khaliv Valdez

Detective Valdez had worked for the Chicago PD for many years before being assigned to the original Phoenix Therapy for anger management. However, during the last few weeks so much has happened to him he can hardly keep his head straight. He's been suspended, re-instated, and attached indefinitely to a paramilitary unit made up of crazy people.

 He is haunted by the horrific things he has seen on the beat, and it fills him with rage. Even before assignment to the new Phoenix Project, he would often take things into his own hands when dealing with the criminal element of the city. His police training and information connections make him an invaluable investigative asset to the team.

---

Gi Gi La'mour

Once a small time singer who aspired to fame and fortune via the seedy clubs and dives of Chicago, Gi Gi is an attractive young woman who by a stroke of very ill fortune managed to land herself directly in the middle of some serious business. Gi Gi has been attached to the Phoenix Project as a operative who is capable of using feminine wiles to further the agenda of the team. Unable to get out of the present situation, she's willing to go as far as she can - though she's no real fighter, she has been given rudimentary training during her time on the island. Very soon, the Phoenix Project will call upon her to perform her duty. In that moment, Gi Gi knows that she will have to act boldly - and she happens to act very well.

---

Agent Simon Doan

When the ISA appropriated the Phoenix Project, Agent Simon Doan was brought in to help ready the new soldiers for combat on the ISA's island training complex. Doan is a career soldier, and started his special forces training as a SEAL in the U.S. Navy. He then spent some time as a CIA operative and has seen quite a few theaters across the middle-east and eastern Europe. Appointed as "Tactical Advisor" to the Phoenix Project, he provides combat insight to the team at the ground level.

 Doan is a very cold and distant person, less haunted by the atrocities he's witnessed (and performed) than he is shaped by them. He cares little for his enemies lives or their sense of self-worth, often using degrading and painful methods of torture, psychological and otherwise. In his reasoning, he does what he must for his country...nothing more, nothing less. It's a dirty job (torturing and killing enemies of the state), and someone has to do it.